In separate interviews with the Press-Register, Pete Riehm and Dean Young each claimed to be the stronger advocate for the tea party and its values.

But each shied way from declaring himself as the race’s true tea party candidate.

Such is the significant, but complicated, role that the grass-roots conservative movement plays in the 1st Congressional District’s Republican primary race.

As the candidates seek tea party support, they are also careful to avoid claiming leadership of a movement that prides itself on not being governed by powerful leaders or central organizing committees.

"I don’t go around saying, ‘I’m the tea party candidate,’ because I don’t speak for them," Young said. But "I will make sure they see my record, and I have a strong record of fighting taxes and being out front."

Dean Young

Riehm, a co-founder of the Common Sense Campaign, which identifies itself as a tea party group, similarly said that "there is no arbiter" of who represents the tea party.

"We’re not just going to come out and say, ‘We’re the tea party people,’" Riehm said. He added, "you have to look at who did what, who’s been where and you judge for yourself."

A Bonner spokesman declined to comment for this story.

Riehm and Young both have been active in local politics over recent years.

Riehm and his Common Sense Campaign have held numerous rallies, penned guest editorials and backed a Constitution Party candidate in the House 105 race in south Mobile County.

"You can check the Press-Register archives for the last two and a half years," Riehm said. "Tell me whose names are in there as having tea parties."

Young also touts his media coverage, with campaign videos using clips from local television news broadcasts during the height of the debates over a property tax increase and a storm water management fee, dubbed the "rain tax" by opponents including Young.

Who are people affiliated with the tea party supporting? It depends which ones you ask.

Early last week, Young trumpeted a letter of support from Sharron Angle, who ran unsuccessfully against Democratic Sen. Harry Reid in Nevada last year. Young’s email was titled: "National tea party favorite backs Dean Young."

"After spending time with him and his family, I found that Dean is a true constitutional conservative who walks the walk. He doesn’t just talk the talk," the letter said, before soliciting campaign donations.

The Press-Register was unable to contact Angle to confirm her support of Young.

Young said those remarks were an attempt to "belittle," as well as "very unsportsmanlike and amateurish."

"She’s so relevant that the Tea Party Express just carried her from one end of the country to the other end of the country to speak to people, and he should not insult her by saying that she’s not relevant here," Young said.

Young also touted support from an Orange Beach tea party organizer named Butch Pardue, who called Young "the best man for the job."

On Friday, Riehm released his own, long list of tea party endorsers, including people affiliated with his Common Sense Campaign and leaders of other groups across the state, such as the Conservative Patriots Club in Springville and the Wiregrass Patriots in Dothan.

But not everyone’s a fan. Gene Labrato, a Baldwin County tea party organizer who tangled with Riehm after endorsing a previous candidate for Congress whom Riehm’s group had not yet decided to back, had harsh words for Riehm.

Labrato said Riehm wasn’t voted into tea party leadership but merely "declared himself to be some grand title." He also accused Riehm of trying to make other tea party groups in Alabama "fall under his leadership."

"Pete started the Common Sense Campaign primarily to promote himself," Labrato said.

In an email, Riehm disputed those remarks and said the tea party endorsements he announced Friday demonstrate that they’re not true.

"I have no comment on his remarks, and I would also reiterate that no on person or group can anoint anyone as a tea party candidate or not. We all have to stand on our own records and history," the email said.